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TO DEFENSE SECRETARY ROBERT GATES for including in his Efficiency Initiatives Decisions memo some savings that aren’t real. Among the 102 general officer and flag officer positions listed for elimination, some incumbents have already rotated out of those commands.

Similarly, of 23 general and flag officer positions listed to be filled by officers of lower rank, 16 have already been completed. Presenting those savings as newly identified cost-cutting measures is misleading.

Also suspect is the proposal to save $6 billion in civilian and contractor jobs. Unless all of the services they provide are truly unnecessary, then it’s likely that at least some of the work will have to be picked up by government workers. That must still be accounted for.